Hello Friends, Since I didn't make it to Japan for the shows, did anyone record any of the shows? I'm crazy to listen to the setlist and crowd reaction. ---------------------------------- "Asa me o samashite Saisho ni Kangaeta koto wa nani?" ----- Original Message ----- From: <kraftwerk-request@mailman.xmission.com> To: <kraftwerk@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Saturday, December 14, 2002 11:27 AM Subject: Kraftwerk digest, Vol 1 #427 - 3 msgs
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Today's Topics:
1. live in Japan (Oystein Moe) 2. Kraftwerk Electraglide 2002 Review (rhodri kasperbauer) 3. The Setlist of Makuhari (v2kaoru@mac.com)
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Message: 1 From: "Oystein Moe" <oyst1@hotmail.com> To: kraftwerk@mailman.xmission.com Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 07:37:04 +0000 Subject: [Kraftwerk] live in Japan Reply-To: kraftwerk@mailman.xmission.com
So,
yesteray I saw Kraftwerk live at Electraglide 2002, in Tokyo.
time is running out in my internet caf so I'll be brief, if you want to know more dont hesitate to ask.
My main impression after this gig is that they've taken much of The Mix out of the songs, many of the songs are back to the '70s arrangements more or less. I've never seen them play Neon Lights before, that was great. They have dropped the slow intro to Tour De France, and it started much like the Kevorkian mix. Ralf plays keyboards, the others don't. (Henning added a new bassline to the end of Music Non Stop though, that was tastic). One giant backdrop, three video projectors. Most of the time the films are not in sync with the music but Metal on Metal proves it can be done. Many of the films are completely different to 1997/8.
The Japanese crowd seemed to enjoy the show, but having dropped most of the 1991 thump, and playing more of the slow songs, this music is really hard to dance to! Ralf started out in english on Pocket Calc and then did all of the japanese lyrics (best reception of the night).
More to come if you need.
Oh, and lots of new shirts, new to me at least, but no cycling shirts in sight.
Oystein
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Message: 2 Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 03:00:25 -0800 (PST) From: rhodri kasperbauer <kasperbauer@yahoo.com> To: kraftwerk@mailman.xmission.com Subject: [Kraftwerk] Kraftwerk Electraglide 2002 Review Reply-To: kraftwerk@mailman.xmission.com
Greetings,
Sometimes in life it really is worth dong the things you really want to...like going to Tokyo! This will all ramble on, but hopefully give some of the gist of being there.
Would they even play? Would it be delayed? Well, we finally got our flight tickets the day before, with information that tickets should be available on the door - for a location with a capacity of 20,000?
Arrival in Japan at 8pm, doors to Electraglide open at 9pm. Customs and immigration were also not simple - they seemed to find it hard to understand that our address in Japan could be the Makuhari Messe (former 'Nippon Convention Centre') for one night only. Anyway, then it was a dash to the bus (cheaper than a U.S. $100-200 taxi fare), and, faster than the 3 trains we would have needed to take (1.5 hours).
Electraglide was being held in Chiba area, half way between Tokyo and Narita airport. Get to bus stop near hall - no sign of people. Start walking through the Convention Halls - to get to 1-3, the location.
Very obvious that this is a very young audience, seemed to be mainly teenagers? (quite a difference from U.S. tour of 1998). Luckily tickets were on sale on door, so we were quickly in. People running the event didn't seem much older. Really no security check, especially as there were lockers to rent inside!
So, we have 3 halls - 1 live music, 1 djs,1 for food/drink/hmv/merchandise. The merchandise was a little disappointing the only t-shirts being 'man machine'/'pocket calculator'/robots/new to me was the 'lap tops and wire frame outfits. Definitely the most poular stall, even if prices for the other shirts (Wetherhall/Tim deluxe/ Electraglide 2002) were the same. Given that everyone was given their free light stick and Electraglide carrier bag (to put all their purchases in)..it would have made sense to have a fuller selection.
One weird point is the Kraftwerk merchandise sign. It's that 'high-tech computer script', but the actual letters have been cut (by hand) out of white gaffa tape!).
Further trivia point. HMV were selling all night (9pm-6am) at the stall next door. So, we have german language and english language versions of cds..but how come 'Computer World' is pressed in the UK (no Japanese versions on sale)..highly ironic, given that it was the crowd's favorite 'singalong-with-Ralf' moment.
Kraftwerk were due originally at 11pm, but signs said it would be 11.30. About an hour before a few rows started forming, staring into strobe lights facing the audience. It was clear that some Japanese people are very territorial, and, did not want to share their space. Unlike U.S. audiences in 1998, it was also clear that this was not the sort of audience that wants to chat with foreigeners, a kinda of a shame.
About a half hour before start, there seemed to be some song playing about 'Music is an Attack', hard to know if this was pre-arranged by band. The 3 projectors were noticibly projecting onto the black curtains, later there was a separate test of each color of the 'under stage' lighting...then it was time for the 'website transmission sound' (a different version, but similar).
Those strobe lights were removed, the front of stage was checked, some press (with video camera) seemed to be asked to remove their equipment (but later came back).
And then, to the only really frantic push and shove of the night, the concert started. Unlike the still photos I've seen froM Paris, the 3 screens/1 screen worked very well for me. Basically, you have the option for a full 'cinemascope-style' projection, or it can be broken up (without different images running on parts of the large screen).
I'll try and think of some interesting points. Between songs there were some long, very long pauses. For me, it really did seem that the visuals were working very much in sync with the sounds (i.e. pocket calculator). Interesting to see how 'neon lights' had old footage (from the original film/video), cut in with new, with (perhaps not surprisingly) no band members appearing (as they do in the original film.
To me, it was clear that alot has changed. In some ways there is a revisit back... Radioactivity started off sounding akin to the original, building slowly into the more familiar recent version.
For me the biggest surprise was that 'The Model' was back, nice to see the full back+white video (without band cut-ins). Quite a straight-forward version, with some emotive and touching singing from Ralf!
It was a little sad to see that this young Japanese audience were somewhat muted. I am sure - given pre-concert publicity - some were expecting the 'wire-frame' suits/robots, which didn't appear. But what they got was excellent sound, brilliant performances.
This concert certainly was a different ambience from those I've seen in 1981/1991/1998, let's just sum it up - at the end Florian leaves his equipment, makes it half way to off-stage, then pauses and gives a bow.
For us, it was superb - the more times you return to this music the more it comes alive, the more it expands/contracts/morphs into new directions and forms
- my wife said that 'the Model' was the best of the night, I believe 'Expo 200'; so we'll compromise on 'Music Non Stop'. Anyway, these are some first observations - more later. Mit fruendlich grussen,
Kasperbauer
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Message: 3 Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 22:08:59 +0900 From: v2kaoru@mac.com To: kraftwerk@mailman.xmission.com Subject: [Kraftwerk] The Setlist of Makuhari Reply-To: kraftwerk@mailman.xmission.com
Hi all,
Here is a setlist of Tokyo. It was a very nice the show started from NUMBERS! (not The Robots nor EXPO 2000)
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Intro Mine Dame und Herren...
1. Numbers 2. Computer World 3. It's more fun to Compute / Home Computer 4. Pocket Calculator (Dentaku) 5. EXPO 2000 6. The Man-Machine 7. The Robots 8. Tour de France 9. Autobahn 10. The Model 11. Neon Lights 12. Sellafield... / Radioactivity 13. Trans Europe Express / Metal on Metal
Encore: Boing Boom Tschak / Music Non Stop
---- KAORU aus Tokio Japan
P.S. See You tomorrow at the Zepp Osaka!
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